Mechanical orchestra



Aug. 26, 1941. F.,Ross| MECHANICAL ORCHESTRA Filed DeC. 13. 1938 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, 1941.

F. ROSSI MECHANICAL ORCHESTRA Filed Dec. l5, 1938 2 sheets-sneek 2 GSW/lvm.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 s PATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL ORCHESTRA Fred Rossi, Philadelphia,

and mesne assignment Pa., a'ssignor, by' direct s, of one-fourth to Edward S. Peyton, Grafton, one-fourth to Samuel Strahl, Pittsburgh, one-fourth to Thomas J.

Harrison, McKees Rocks,.and one-fourth to Irene Simon, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application December 13, 1938,1Serial No. 245,349

(C1. 1s-11s) 8 Claims.

The principal objects of the present invention are toV provide an attractive, interesting and amusing orchestra consisting of miniature gures, or midget-like dolls representing the orchestra players. and their leader and which partake of. appropriate movements such as lifting and returning their feet to the floor, such as consist in movements of the arms, fingers and head and the music produced by the phonograph; and to provide an orchestra of the Character mentioned which is simple in construction and durable and reliable in operation.

Other objects of the invention 'will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention Will be claimed.

The invention comprises or consists of the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the, following description reference will be madeto the accompanying `drawings forming part hereof and in which,

Figure l is a diagrammatic perspective View showing so much of the orchestra as will convey a general conception of the same.

-Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the solo performer and the mechanism by which the performer is made to rise from and return vto seated position.

Figure 3 is a View drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating details of construction of the figure and operating mechanism shown in Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 'is'a perspective View looking from the right yand upward in Figure 2 and illustrating parts of the mechanism.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View illustratingV some of the performers andtheir actuating mechanism; and

Figure 6 is a iront view with parts broken away and illustrating the mechanism for moving the fingers.

' Referring to the drawings, the orchestra gures are shown as seated upon chairs I placed upon a. platform 2.

The leader is'shoWn as standing 55 upon a stand 3 arranged on the platform 2. Referring to the orchestra figures each has a leg pivoted at thev knee 4 and at the hip 5 so that the foot is capable of upward movement clear of the platform and of return movement. The feet of the leader are movable for turning motion in respect to the stand 3 but in this case thelegs are not jointed but the arms 6 are pivoted and the head 'I is also pivoted. Referring to the soloist there is provided a chair la, Figure 2 and thegure is jointed at the knees 4 and at the hips 5. One arm 8 is pivoted at 9, Figure 2. The fingers I of the cornetist and the arm II of A,the trombonist are also pivoted. There is a phonograph I2v and its tone arm I3, by means of the switch and circuit connections I4, 'control the stopping and starting of the motor I5. The motor I actuates the movable parts of the figures by means of link and bell crank mechanism which will be described so that the movement of the parts of the figures starts with the commencement of the music provided by the phonograph and .continues in synchronism with the music. The motor I5 through a suitablespeed reduction mechanism I'I drives the crank arm I8, Figure 5. The crank arm oscillates a lever I9 pivoted at 2B. Themovement of the lever I9 acting through the link 2I operates a set of bell cranks 22. These bell cranks or arms are respectively connected by links 23 with bell cranks 24 and 25Awhich are connected directly at the right hand sidein Figure 1 with a rod 26 to which the movable foot of the right hand figure is connected, and are indirectly connected through a lever 2l With the rod 2S of the movable foot l of the figure which represents a cornetist. The operation of the described linkage raises and lowers one foo-t of each player in unison. The movement of the foot of each player actuates the movable parts o'f rthe figure, for example in the case of Y the cornetist, Figure 6, the link 28 rocks the bell crank lever 29 of which one end is pivoted to the shank 30 of the lever 3| pivoted at 32 and which carries the fingers III. In a similar Way and referring to the trombonist, the link 33 connects the movable leg with the lever 34 which is' connected to the trombone slide.

In the case of the leader, one of his feet 35 is pivotally mounted and is turned by the arm 36, Fig. 1, link 3l, and. pivotal lever 38, Fig. 5, through the intervention of arod 39 by one of the bell cranks or arms 22 so that in this case the leaders feet are turned in respect to the platform so that the leader faces the orchestra or the audience. A bell crank 49 serves to actuate the linkage 4| which not only moves the arms of the leader but also his head which is pivoted at 42.

At this point it may be said that the link lever and bell crank mechanism operates the movable parts of all of the iigures and in the case of some of them the movement of the feet through similar mechanism operates the movable parts of the respective figures. The soloist is made to rise and sit down and raise the arm 8 by electromagnetic mechanism under the control of the attendant so that the soloist may be made to rise and sit down in proper time with the orchestration. For this purpose there are an actuating magnet 43, and a release magnet 44, Figure 2. The core of the magnet 43 is connected with a lever 45 which when the magnet is energized assumes the position shown in Figure 2 which is the sitting position of the figure and it also occupies the position shown in dotted lines which is the standing position of the figure. It may be remarked that the pivotal link 46, Figure 3, moves the arm 8 of the figure as it is shifted from sitting position to rising position. The rod 41 connected with the lever 45 operates upon a lifting lever 48, Fig. 4, by which the ligure is raised to standing position. The link 69 limits the rising movement of the figure so that it will not fall frontivard. The lever 48 is pivoted and its free end is connected to the rod 41. 50 is a slide bearing for the lever 48. There is a bracket l which provides a fixed bearing for the lever 48. The bracket 5i may be attached to the chair la. When the magnet 43 is energized and the figure lifted to standing position the spring pressed detent 52 catches under the rod 45 and holds the figure in standing position even though the magnet 43 be deenergized. Atthe end of the song recital or Whatever is attributable to the standing figure, the attendant energizes the magnet 44 which releases the lever 45 because the upper prong of the detent is pulled clear of the end of the lever 45 and then the ligure falls onto the chair by its own Weight, being started by the lower fork of detent 52.

From the foregoing description those skilled in the art Will understand that figures and parts may be duplicated by the use of mechanism substantially as described. Therefore, the invention is not limited to details of construction and mere matters of form or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:

l. In a mechanical orchestra the combination of figures simulating miniature orchestra performers having movable parts, motor driven mechanism for moving said parts, a phonograph controlling said mechanism, a chair, a jointed iigure, means for shifting the jointed figure to standing and to seated positions, and manually controlled electro-magnetic devices for operating said means.

2. in a mechanical orchestra the combination of, a platform, a chair thereon, a jointed iigure arranged on the platform and simulating in miniature a soloist and having movable parts, a phonograph mounted adjacent said figure but concealed from view so that vocal sounds from said phonograph appear to come from said ligure, and manually-controlled means for shifting said figure to standing and to seated positions in respect to said chair and for moving said parts whereby said phonograph and said means may be started in synchronism to produce the illusion of the soloist performing.

3. In a mechanical orchestra the combination of, a platform, chairs and a stand on the platform, figures seated on the chairs and simulating miniature orchestra performers and a leader standing on the stand, said figures having Inovable parts, linkage and bell-crank mechanism for moving said parts, a motor for moving said mechanism, a phonograph having a tone-arm, and electrical connections between said arm and said motor whereby said phonograph controls said motor.

4. A soloist performer for a mechanical orchestra comprising, a platform, a chair thereon, a

jointed figure arranged on the platform adjacent the chair and having movable parts, a lever pivotally supported from said platform adjacent the back of said gure, a bracket providing a sliding connection between one end of said lever and said figure adjacent the hips of said gure, a rod having pivotal connection with the opposite end of said lever, and manually-controlled electro-magnetic actuating means controlling the movement of said rod for moving said rod and said lever to cause said figure to rise from said chair when said electro-magnetic means is energized and to sit on said chair by gravity when said electro-magnetic means is de-energized.

5. A soloist performer for a mechanical orchestra comprising, a platform, a chair thereon, -a jointed figure arranged on the platform adjacent the chair and having movable parts, a lever pivotally supported from said platform adjacent the rear of said figure, an actuating magnet having control of said lever and arranged to cause said figure to rise from said chair when said magnet is energized, and a detent arranged to hold said lever and consequently said figure in raised position even though said magnet is de-energized and to free said lever to allow said ligure to return to sittingposition on said chair under the control of gravity.

6. In a mechanical orchestra, the combination of, a platform, a chair thereon, a jointed figure arranged on the platform adjacent the chair and simulating a miniature soloist and having movable parts, a lever pivotally mounted from said platform, an actuating magnet arranged to actuate said lever in one direction of movement of said magnet to cause said gure to rise from said chair and free from said lever in the opposite direction of movement of said magnet so that said figure may sit on said chair under the influence of gravity When said magnet is de-energized, and a link having pivotal connection with said figure adjacentthe hips and adjacent the knees of said gure to prevent the ligure from falling forward When in raised position.

7. A toy amusement device for simulating a soloist singer for a mechanical orchestra cornprising, a jointedtoy figure having an arm pivotally connected thereto and having pivotal joints at the hips and knees of said figure, a link having pivotal connection With said ligure adjacent the hips thereof and having pivotal connection with said pivoted arm at a point spaced from the pivot ofsaid arm so that When said ligure moves to standing position the arm is raised and when said figure moves to sitting position the arm is lowered, a second lever pivotally supported on said platform and having connection with said figure, and an actuating magnet arranged to actuate said lever to move said figure to standing position when said magnet is energized, and to allow said iigure to return to said sitting position when said magnet is de-energized.

8. A mechanical orchestra comprising automaton musicians, electrical motor mechanism for operating the musicians, a phonograph having an element movable to and from playing position,

an electrical -circuit for energizing said mechanism, and a switch for said circuit, which is 5 actuated through movement of the said element.

FRED ROSSI. 

